NASA Gravity Probes Prepare to Hit the MoonHuntsville AL (SPX) Dec 14, 2012
A pair of NASA spacecraft that have been studying the Moon's gravitational field are being prepared for a controlled descent into a mountain near the Moon's north pole. Impact is expected at about 2:28 p.m. PST (5:28 p.m. EST) on Monday, Dec. 17.
"It is going to be difficult to say goodbye to our little robotic twins," says MIT professor Maria Zuber, principal investigator of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. "Planetary science has advanced in a major way because of the ... read more

Cassini Spots Mini Nile River on Saturn Moon
Scientists with NASA's Cassini mission have spotted what appears to be a miniature, extraterrestrial likeness of Earth's Nile River: a river valley on Saturn's moon Titan that stretches more than 20 ... more

Apollo's Lunar Dust Data Being RestoredForty years after the last Apollo spacecraft launched, the science from those missions continues to shape our view of the moon. In one of the latest developments, readings from the Apollo 14 and 15 ... more

Chinese astronauts may grow veg on Moon
Chinese astronauts may get fresh vegetables and oxygen supplies by gardening in extraterrestrial bases in the future, an official said after a just-concluded lab experiment in Beijing.
Deng Yi ... more

Fly me to the universe
In the eye of Ouyang Ziyuan, Chinese will not only explore the moon and Mars, but the sun, Venus and Jupiter, as well.
"I wish we could travel further away," said Ouyang, chief scientist of Ch ... more

China's Chang'e-3 to land on moon next year
China will launch its latest lunar satellite in the second half of next year, the Chang'e-3, paving the way for a future manned moon landing, a senior space industry official said on Saturday.
... more

Obama Win Keeps NASA's Space Plans on Course
The reelection of US president Barack Obama could mean one small step back to the moon and a giant leap to landing astronauts on Mars and asteroids.
In 2010, the Obama administration set a goa ... more

Dawn Sees "Young" Surface on Giant Asteroid
Like a Hollywood starlet constantly retouching her makeup, the giant asteroid Vesta is constantly stirring its outermost layer to present a young face. Data from NASA's Dawn mission show that a form ... more

China unveils large radio telescope in Shanghai
A massive radio telescope for use in space observation was unveiled Sunday at the foot of Sheshan Mountain in Shanghai. The telescope will be used to track and collect data from satellites and space ... more

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